King James IV of Scotland was born - On this day in history

On 17 March 1473, King James IV of Scotland was born, probably at  Stirling Palace, the son of King James III and his queen, Margaret of Denmark. At the age of one, James was betrothed to Princess Cecily of England but eventually married Margaret Tudor, the daughter of the English king Henry VII.

James IV had a keen interest in the arts and is the last Scottish king known to have spoken Gaelic. He encouraged writers and poets to visit his court and is also said to have had an alchemy workshop at Stirling Palace.